They'll make it pretty secure." In this manner the Classic auxiliaries coolly took charge of the arrangements before ever their hosts had time to realise that they had been relegated to a back seat.
However, just now there was no time for arguing questions of precedence and authority.

The enemy might be upon them at any moment, and they had a lot to do before their outworks could be said to be in a proper state of defence.
The screws in the door were driven hard home into the wainscot; the wedges underneath were tightly fixed.

The bed, with bedding complete, was drawn against the entry.

A second line of defence was thrown up of chairs, chest of drawers, book-case, and wash-stand.

Beyond that were stacked against the wall cricket bats, stumps, boxing-gloves, and other dangerous-looking implements, for use in a last emergency.